Leaf on the Wind
by AllinaeSonya
Summary: A little under a year after the events of Serenity, the crew gains a new member. She grows up to be strong, graceful, takes after her mother and knows nothing of her father. But one thing Emma Washburne does know is that she loves to be in the blackness of the 'verse and has this overwhelming need to be in Serenity's pilot seat.


It had been four years since little Emma had come into the lives of Serenity's crew. And what a four years it had been. After being delivered safely, her mother had to have an emergency operation to stop the internal bleeding that had started during the delivery process.

Simon Tam, the resident doctor onboard Serentiy, at the time wasn't sure what had brought this upon the young mother. However, after seeing the baby alive and healthy, he was able to focus solely on the mother. The girl was given to Inara, who had been helping Simon since the first contraction. She cuddled the child, keeping her warm, but looking back on it now, little Emma knew that this woman was not her mother and started to wail. The companion had done her best to try and calm the baby but had no success.

After being probed, prodded, and hearing her baby call out for her, Zoe Washburne had had enough of the doctor.

"I want to hold her," she told Simon after another scream came from the child.

"Just a few more minutes, please, Zoe," Simon replied, paying more attention to which utensil he would use next rather than Zoe's hand that reached out and grabbed his shirt pulling him towards her.

"Get me my child." Simon swallowed hard at the command and started to stutter an excuse.

"Just do what she says, doc," a voice came from the door. A second later, Mal, their captain, came inside holding the baby that Zoe so desperately wanted in her own arms. "Cuz if you don't, I sure as hell will. No use in two of us getting shot on this ship is there?"

With another look to Zoe, Simon nodded. "I suppose not, captain."

Without another word, Mal gently placed the baby into Zoe's arms. Both men stepped back and allowed the new mother to have some time with her child. As they exited the med bay, they met the eager faces of the rest of the crew. River and Kaylee were the closest to the door, looking in expectantly and waiting to be invited in to see the baby, Inara had seated herself on the couch with a quiet smile on her face, and Jayne was trying to feign uninterest, but his eyes kept looking past everyone and glancing at the baby periodically. Instead of rushing in as Mal and Simon left, it was a mutual understanding that Zoe deserved to have time by herself.

Inside the med bay, Zoe's eyes had not left the bundle in her arms. The little girl had the same color skin and a tuft of curly hair identical to her mother's, which upset Zoe seeing that her daughter had not inherited any physical traits of her father. No blond hair or paler skin, the baby in her arms was all her's. Zoe could see dark brown eyes looking back at her and her heart broke realizing that there was absolutely nothing that her daughter had gotten from her father. But she was beautiful and adorable and most importantly healthy.

"Gotta name for her?" Mal asked some time after. Zoe looked up to see everyone had congregated around the door, waiting for her to allow them to come in and get a better look.

"Mhmm." She waved for them all to come in and River and Kaylee ran to get the closest. The rest of the crew chuckled and followed after. The baby loved the attention, yawning and reaching out to touch everyone. She would often turn her look back to her mother who would reply with a soft kiss to her head.

"You gonna tell us what it is?" Jayne asked, when she grabbed at one of his massive fingers.

"Emma. Emma Washburne." Zoe replied.

"You didn't name her after her daddy?" Kaylee asked her. She along with the rest of the crew was surprised that Zoe didn't try to name the baby after her late husband. Only Mal nodded in understanding.

"I couldn't go and call the girl Hoban. She'd hate me every day of her life. I don't think Wash would have wanted that either. Emma has no connection to anything or anyone in the 'verse. She has nothing to live up to. She can just be her." Zoe explained, but she didn't look at anyone. She hadn't really thought of a name until Mal asked her and Emma just seemed to fit.

"Emma is a beautiful name, Zoe," Inara told her, giving the child a kiss.

"It's mighty shiny," Kaylee added.

"Alright, Zoe and the newest member of our crew need their rest. The rest of you get back to your jobs. River, set a course for the nearest planet," Mal ordered.

He started to leave the med bay when Zoe asked, "Sir, aren't we on the run?"

"We've got a bit of an emergency that needs to be taken care of first, Zo." And that was the last of that conversation.

Now one emergency surgery, an extremely close escape, and four years later, the toddler was walking around the cargo hold playing with Aunt Kaylee and Uncle Jayne, her mother watching her from the walkway. She was growing fast, and Zoe could tell that the girl was also going to inherit her height. Still after all this time there wasn't one thing that Emma did that was like her dad. Well, there was one thing, but Zoe wanted to make sure her observation was correct.

"Momma, momma," Emma called from below her.

"Yes, bao bei?"

"Can we go see da nigh wights now?" the little girl asked, her eyes shining with anticipation. There it was.

"Of course we can. Aunt River would probably love the company." Zoe met the girl at the stairs and picked her up to take her to the bridge.

"Buh bye Aut Kaywee. Buh bye Unca Jay," Emma waved to the two. The little girl had everyone wrapped around her chubby little finger.

When they entered the bridge, Zoe nodded to River and tried to get Emma to say hello, but the little girl's focus was elsewhere. Emma's mouth had opened slightly and her eyes had widened as big as they could. She was looking at the black before them, completely mesmerized by it and the millions of tiny lights. Zoe watched as she put Emma down. Immediately, the little girl got as close as she could get and her face changed from a look of awe to one of happiness and Zoe saw it again. The one thing that Emma had inherited from Wash.

The twinkle in her eyes when she looked out at the vastness of space. The look of pure bliss and this feeling that she was in her element. She looked back at her mother, and in that moment it was like Zoe was looking at Wash.


End file.
